The other day I was discussing how I feel sorry for some of my friends. I feel sorry that they have not had an experience like this. I feel bad that they are stuck in a rhythm of life that only beats at one pace, and does not allow for the chance to live outside of the norm. To be able to take a week and live among some orphans, to build a home for the homeless, to paint walls for a ministry, to mend a fence or set up a playground. These are all things that have made me the better. And it was because I took the opportunity, the chance and the risk. I have been able to see some amazing things on the way and meet some amazing people. To have worked with David and Shoba here in India, the people at Dublin Christian Mission, the various crews of MCYM in Europe, the people of Philippines' Habitat for Humanity... Again, I am a better person just by knowing these people.
Then there is the knowledge that comes from experiencing different cultures and lands. I've learned more about this world by seeing and experiencing it than I could ever learn by reading about it. I can recall the smells, sounds and tastes of far off lands most people only see in the movies. I know only briefly what it is like to live in different lands, to be a citizen of this world.
So how can I express this thought or feeling to others? How can I motivate my friends to take a break from their lives, to step outside of their world? How can people be motivated to lose themselves for the sake of others? Odds are they will find more of themselves along the way...
Song to go with this post: Carolyn Arends - Seize the Day
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